Commentary on 20th Sunday of the year C 18.08.2019

Commentary on 20th Sunday of the year C 18.08.2019

TEXT — Luke 12: 49–53 — Jesus’ zealous commitment to his mission

Fire

49 “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!

Baptism

50 I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!

Division

51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother–in–law against her daughter–in–law and daughter–in–law against her mother–in–law.”

EXPLANATION

Introduction

Jesus describes his attitude to his mission. He is most anxious that it be fulfilled. He is on his journey to Jerusalem and approaching crucifixion. He describes his mission under three headings: it is like a fire to be set alight, a baptism to be undertaken and the result will be discord and opposition as the consequences with even families being divided which was foretold by Simeon. (Lk. 2: 34).

In the Gospels, other than the words “I say to you”, Jesus does not use the personal pronoun “I” very often. He uses it in this passage in all remarks.

49 “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!

“I came to cast fire upon the earth” — Jesus allows us an insight into his heart and what drives him on his mission. He has come to set the earth on fire.

(a) The Bible refers to “fire” in several ways: (i) It can mean purification and cleansing. Metals were purified of dross and animals offered in sacrifice were purified by being burnt so as not to be used sacrilegiously.

(iii) It can refer to judgement and punishment (I Kgs. 18: 36–40; II Kgs. 1: 10–14; Lk. 9: 54; 9: 3, 16; 17: 29). The Jewish people did not expect to be judged but to receive immediate reward and happiness; only non–Jews would be judged adversely. They were wrong. Many Christians subscribe to that Jewish presumption in their own way.

(iv) “Fire” is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, of God’s burning love (Lk. 3: 16) which, after Jesus ascends to his Father, will descend as tongues of fire at Pentecost.

Jesus’ ultimate objective is to set the world aflame with the fire of the Holy Spirit. This is the sense in which he declared “I came to cast fire upon the earth”

“and would that it were already kindled!” — Jesus expresses his deep desire to complete his passion and the redemption of the world, his Father’s will.

(b) “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!” — The second figure is that of “baptism”. The word ‘baptism’ means to be plunged into water. Here Jesus gives the image of being plunged into the depths of his suffering and death (Ps. 124: 4–5).

“Constrained” means to be impatiently anxious or distressed until his sufferings and mission are over.

51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; 53 they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother–in–law against her daughter–in–law and daughter–in–law against her mother–in–law.”

(c) “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division” — Jesus is not saying that his intention or the reason for his coming on earth is to bring division — he is “the Prince of Peace” and as the angels sang to the shepherds on the night of his birth, he came to bring peace (Lk. 2: 14. See also Lk. 1: 79; 2: 29). Those who accept him have his peace (Lk. 7: 50; 8: 48; 10: 5–6). Rather he is saying that the consequence of his coming, which he did not plan or wish, is division.

“for henceforth” — This is a turning–point. From now onwards peoples’ attitudes will have to be established, either for or against Jesus and his mission.

“in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three;they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother–in–law against her daughter–in–law and daughter–in–law against her mother–in–law” — Five people are listed: father, son, mother, daughter and daughter–in–law. Some reading this list think that there are six persons but the “mother” and “mother–in–law” are one and the same person.

The “daughter–in–law” is mentioned as she would live in the same house with her husband’s parents.

APPLICATION

This is a most remarkable passage, short as it is. One indication of this is that Jesus uses the first person singular “I” as he seldom does elsewhere in all the four Gospels (other than the regular expression “I say this to you”). This is an indication that his mood is very personal, profound and full of emotion. He is expressing his deepest feelings, his zealous desire to accomplish his Father’s will and mission and his anxiety to bring this to a successful end, terrible though that may be. In these five verses he expresses the core meaning of his life, love and work. He lived and died to establish the kingdom of God and to invite all people to enter. He was not prepared to compromise even in the least way in his own duty and would not allow would–be followers to change the Father’s plans. When some found that his demands were too strong his reaction was a stern “Do you also wish to go away?” He did not deviate in the least little bit from his mission. As The Catechism of the Catholic Church (607) states, “The desire to embrace his Father’s plan of redeeming love inspired Jesus’ whole life, for his redemptive passion was the very reason for his Incarnation. And so he asked, ‘And what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour.’ And again, ‘Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?’ From the cross, just before ‘It is finished’, he said, ‘I thirst.’”

To express the innermost thoughts and feelings of his heart and soul, Jesus tells us that he came on earth to set the world aflame with the fire of the love of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist had foretold that Jesus would baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. When later the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles on that first Pentecost he came in the form of tongues “as of fire” and filled them with himself. In the present Gospel passage Jesus is saying that this is his ambition, to kindle this fire of divine love in the hearts of every man, woman and child.

A second image Jesus offers to show his zeal and anxiety to accomplish his Father’s will for him is that of baptism. There would be confusion and misunderstanding if one was to limit the meaning of the word ‘baptism’ to the sacramental rite of the Church. ‘Baptism’ is a transliteration of the Greek word meaning to ‘plunge’. As Jesus uses it in this passage it refers to his plunging into his passion and death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church expresses this distinction as follows, “The baptism of Jesus [in the river Jordan by John the Baptist] is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. Already he is anticipating the “baptism” of his bloody death. Already he is coming to “fulfil all righteousness”, that is, he is submitting himself entirely to his Father’s will: out of love he consents to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. The Father’s voice responds to the Son’s acceptance, proclaiming his entire delight in his Son. The Spirit whom Jesus possessed in fullness from his conception comes to “rest on him”. Jesus will be the source of the Spirit for all mankind. At his baptism “the heavens were opened” — the heavens that Adam’s sin had closed — and the waters were sanctified by the descent of Jesus and the Spirit, a prelude to the new creation” (CCC, 536).

Finally, Jesus tells us that while he lives and dies to have each and every person accept his offer of salvation, love cannot be forced on anyone. He will not force himself on any person. His offer to each is radical, going straight into the very heart and centre of each one’s life. The uncompromising decision to accept or reject divides people. That is not his intention but the free choice of those invited to respond. As family has the greatest influence on individuals it can often demand a drastic choice that can result in persecution or rejection from those who are intolerant. Indeed, it can happen that the strong to violent opposition may arise as a means of bringing Christ’s disciple to seeing matters in the family way. Then it can also be because, like Jesus’ own family, they think that the disciple is out of his/her mind, ‘mad’ in fact.